Pioneer Intros 3 Blu-ray Players, iPhone-Controllable Receivers

Pioneer unveiled a new series of Profile 2.0 Blu-ray Players, consisting of the BDP-120 and BDP-320 and the Elite BDP-23FD.

The BDP-120 will have a 1GB flash drive, while the BDP-320 and Elite BDP-23FD both feature 1GB of internal memory. All three models also have an integrated USB port and an Ethernet connection to download player upgrades.

The players also include:

• DAC and jitter-reduction technology
• Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD bitstream output
• KURO Link to maneuver between Pioneer products

The BDP-320 and BDP-23FD offer 7.1-channel analog output.

The BDP-320 also features support for 48-Bit Deep Color, Picture Control Suite to tweak 13 video adjustments and noise reduction circuits.

Pioneer says the Elite BDP-23FD has been designed exclusively for the custom market. It features a RS-232C interface and KURO Link Picture Mode, which activates a dedicated A/V mode when connected to a KURO TV that "optimizes video reproduction between the two devices to deliver a perfectly synced image."

The three Blu-ray players will ship in the spring.

MSRP
BDP-120 — below $300
BDP-320 — below $400
BDP-23FD — $599

iPhone-certified A/V Receivers

Pioneer also introduced the VSX-519V, VSX-819H, VSX-919AH and VSX-1019AH A/V Receivers. Three of the four models (819H, 919AH and 1019AH) are "iPhone-certified," meaning they can be controlled by the iPhone or iPod.

The receivers provide multizone audio (two zones), have front panel USB ports and HDMI repeaters with Deep Color and x.v Color, as well as Lip Sync function to sync audio and video playback. All four models also have Advanced Sound Retriever (ASR) and Auto Level Control (ALC) technology to restore compressed audio files.

The 919AH and 1019AH display full-color artwork from a song or album when connected to a HDTV. They also have:

• ASR-multi to restore compressed multichannel legacy audio formats, including Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1
• ALC3e-multi that delivers multichannel digital audio even in low volume listening
• Proprietary Hybrid Amplifier Technology II (P.H.A.T.) to ensure high-quality performance

When connected to a Blu-ray player via HDMI, the 919AH and 1019AH use a proprietary PQLS technology to sync the player and receiver. Pioneer will ship the receivers in the spring.

MSRP
VSX-519V — $199
VSX-819H — $299
VSX-919AH — $399
VSX-1019AH — $499

DV-420V Upconverting DVD Player

The DV-420V offers 1080p upconversion, MP3 encoding and a front panel USB port for playback of DivX, JPEG, WMA, AAC and WMV files.

The upconverting DVD player, which is 16.5-inches long, can rip CDs into MP3 files to be transferred onto a USB drive.

It also includes a digital analog converter (DAC) and component video and s-video connectivity.

The Pioneer DV-420V will ship this summer. MSRP: $90